James R. Grossman

Fourteen years in the making, this historical reference was developed by the Chicago Historical Society and the Newberry Library. According to the editors, it had to be one volume, no magnifying glass required. It was a tremendous undertaking and, of course, there has already been criticism over what's not in it. I have some myself. But you can't put everything in a "one volume, no magnifying glass required" encyclopedia! The good news is that the Chicago Historical Society is putting it all show more online, plus!

There's an index, a biographical dictionary, an index of leading businesses, census information, and other goodies. And for those who love encyclopedias for the opportunities for digression, this book feeds that habit with: most entries end with "see also" and "further reading".

At $65 and 6.7 pounds, it's cheaper than filet mignon! Treat yourself; I did! show less